Describe a time you struggled while working with a team member and how you overcame the challenge.
The Boeing hiring authority wants assurance that, as an intern, you will be able to overcome team communication challenges in a professional manner. They want to see that you persevere, despite being faced with teamwork challenges.
Give an example of a time when you struggled working alongside a particular team member. Maybe there were personality differences present, or a misunderstanding occurred related to the direction of the project. Be sure to express to the interviewer how the communication issues affected the team, and how you overcame those communication challenges with this particular team member. The key to answering this question is not to single out the weaknesses of someone else, but to highlight how you turned this situation into a positive.
Remember: Boeing uses behavioral-based questions to conduct interviews, and they advise using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) method when responding. Be sure your answer is highly specific and includes quantifiable details and tangible results.
"My last significant group project was an aeronautical system design project. The team included 12 pre-assigned students, all with different personalities, which meant that communication was a challenge. We had over-communicators, brief communicators, and everyone in-between. Our differences were very prevalent right away, so I requested a team meeting, outlining a communication schedule that offered a happy medium for all communication styles. I also suggested we used Trello, a project management tool that helped us stay on track for the deliverables and expectations. This schedule and tool implementation worked very well, and our overall grade was exceptional. I will be suggesting this approach for future university projects."
